Visit of President Richard Nixon to Montana

Rosetta: We’re here with Bill Holter who is Chairman of the Republican Party for the
State of Montana as well as….
(Helicopter noise)
Bill: Rosetta, I think we’ll let them listen to what one of these big helicopters sounds like
for a moment. This giant helicopter has got United States Army on the side of it. It’s
passing off here to park. And, this is the biggest helicopter that I’ve ever had the pleasure
of seeing. The wind is blowing the ladies’ hairdos around a little bit here. As we get
ready for President Nixon’s expected arrival we’ve got a tremendous crowd on hand.
Probably they can hear a little better now.
Rosetta: Right. Now, this as I said, would be an unorthodox interview because there’s
too many things happening to try and do it in any kind of sequence. Bill Holter, who is a
broadcaster, you can do this all I have to do is ask you one question. Since you are one of
the coordinators and one of the sponsors to bring in President Nixon to the state of
Montana, what is involved in bringing the President here to this Kalispell airport?
Bill: The answer could probably be several pages, let’s say. We have found out that for
just a brief visit of a couple of hours, takes about 10 days of solid work by a lot of people
in various communities. The people in the Kalispell area and all of the authorities have
cooperated just splendidly. It’s been a tremendous mission. We expect a crowd of close
to 20,000 people. The highways are jammed coming in here. All is in readiness.
Helicopters all over the place. Marine No. 1 is the one the president will ride in and it’s
shined up like a brand new car. There’s an air of excitement and eager anticipation. It’s
just been a tremendous experience. All of us in Montana, and I might mention both
political parties, are very enthused over this visit.
Rosetta: Tell me, was the President invited here to the state on his way, or how did he
actually, how did this stop come about?
Bill: Well, I might mention that in my capacity as Chairman of the Montana Republican
Party, that we programmed through the channels into the White House several
suggestions, Rosetta, during the summer, for possible occasions that the president might
choose that would warrant a visit and we thought for awhile he was going to visit the
press convention and tie that in with a Glacier Park visit back in August. Another
occasion, the Montana Chamber of Commerce Convention which is on almost hand-inhand
with this visit here. When it was programmed it fit the strategy and previous travel
arrangements involving Portland, Oregon, and Alaska. The drop in here at Kalispell was
selected as the point, and that’s just about the way it went.
2
Rosetta: Thank you Bill, I know you have things to do, you are a busy man. Thank you
so much.
Bill: Thank you.
###
Rosetta: We just discovered former Governor Aronson in the crowd and we just
discussed his birthday party and you were how old, Governor, do you want to tell or are
you like ladies?
Gov. Aronson: Well, as young looking as I am, I am glad to tell you. I was 80 years old
September the first.
Rosetta: I like your modesty this morning. You’re here right in the front row waiting for
our President and I’m sure you’ve sat in on some other presidential visits.
Gov. Aronson: Yes, and I’m sure happy to be here because I invited him over, I wrote
him a personal letter.
Rosetta: Oh, you did?
Gov. Aronson: And I got a reply on it too, and I’ve got it in my pocket if he wants to see
it.
Rosetta: If he wants to see it. Well what did you say?
Gov. Aronson: I invited him to come to Bigfork, Kalispell and Glacier Park.
Rosetta: And he’s coming. He’s going to be here in just a little while.
Gov. Aronson: He better not break down before he gets here, either.
Rosetta: No he won’t. He won’t do that to us. What did he say in his reply? I’m sure he
penned it and said, “Gee, chum.”
Gov. Aronson: He didn’t know just what his schedule was going to be, but he would see
what the future had to offer, see. And now here he is here. I don’t think it’s on account
of me, but I hope it didn’t hurt to invite him.
Rosetta: I’m sure it didn’t. Now, you’ve met other presidents. Would you tell the
Montana listeners what other Presidents you have met?
Gov. Aronson: Well I have, I was very close to President Eisenhower, and of course I
knew President Johnson and President Truman. When I came to this country from
Sweden in 1911, President Taft was the President at that time, see, but I never had an
3
opportunity it meet him and of course, I couldn’t speak English, so he couldn’t even talk
to me.
Rosetta: But you have met President Nixon.
Gov. Aronson: Oh, we were very close when he was Vice President and I was Governor
for eight years. And I’ve been visiting with him and he invited me back to the White
House a year and a half ago and every once in awhile I get a letter from him and I’ve
saved them and Im going to frame some of them.
Rosetta: Good for you. What are you doing now in retirement, Governor?
Gov. Aronson: Well, I’ve got a lot of non-profit jobs, you know, and I made so much
money when I was Governor.
Rosetta: Oh, now careful, you have non-profit and non-paying jobs, is what you’re….
Gov. Aronson: Well right here alone, I’m on this airport board, the airport commission.
We fixed up this airport here so the great President Richard Millhouse Nixon could sit
down with his big plane.
Rosetta: Oh, thank you very much, Governor.
Gov. Aronson: Not only did we make the road ready for him to sit down on, but I invited
him to come over after.
Rosetta: I wonder if he’s going to be here long enough to sit down. I’ll bet he doesn’t
get an opportunity to sit down. Do you suppose?
Gov. Aronson: I would hope and pray on his busy schedule that he stays here for a few
minutes at least.
Rosetta: Well I hope so, because there are, I would say, how many people would you
estimate are here?
Gov. Aronson: Oh, I haven’t looked them over yet.
Rosetta: Just the pretty girls, I can tell.
Gov. Aronson: Well, I see a lot of them, and sit and talk to them, too, you see. This is
really great, it’s a great day for me, the emigrant boy from Sweden, to be here to meet the
great president, the great president of all times, to my way of looking at it, meeting him
here in Kalispell, Montana.
Rosetta: You are still a very humble man and in your position now that’s….
4
Gov. Aronson: Well, I’m too old to be anything else.
Rosetta: Thank you Governor Aronson.
###
Rosetta: As we prepare for the arrival of the President. His plane has put down. Those
who are directly associated with this arrival of the President. The Governor has arrived
and taken his position; the former Governor of Montana has taken his position. We have
the Lt. Governor; and other executives and dignitaries are here awaiting. The Indian
Chiefs are here in full regalia. I see some fish across the way that will be presented to the
President. And many, many school children standing around the area with signs. Some
of the signs read just, “Welcome, Mr. & Mrs. Nixon.” Others say “We’re glad to see
you.” Others I see have smiling faces on them. All of them are welcoming both the
President and his wife Mrs. Pat Nixon. There’s a huge crowd and I am sort of “sardined”
in between numerous people, school children, dignitaries and what have you, in an area
that originally had been designated only for press, but apparently this crowd has reached
a size of where people are being stood in line in the press area and every other area that is
available. I can’t even estimate the size of this crowd, but it’s a big crowd and of course
the highways are jammed on the way in.
The excitement mounts and I must admit I’m as excited as any of the rest of them. I
notice one teenage girl with tears in her eyes standing next to me and a number of them
holding on to their hands and just trying to touch themselves to see if this is really true,
they are really going to see the President of the United States in their young lives.
It has now come to a stop. I am standing not too very far from the runway where he will
put out. The pilot has just opened the door and the Presidential seal is visible. From the,
from this vantage point it’s on the inside of the door. This is a large plane. Out of the
back of the airplane a number of newsmen and presidential aides accompany him. All,
these newsmen, of course, are all loaded with cameras and they dash forward to get the
President and his party’s picture as they make their…
And here they are now. (Applause)
Pat Nixon is a beautiful woman. She is with the President. She is in royal blue. Very
young looking woman, and the President is, he looks great. And I’ll have to say that
Richard Nixon looks very much as he appears on the television screen and in his news
pictures.
Behind the President and Mrs. Nixon are a number of officials, I’m not sure who these
people are. Mike, Senator Mike Mansfield, I think, and his wife. I have a gentleman to
the left who’s taller than I am and he’s telling me who some of these people are as they
come out of the airplane.
I don’t think I could be at a better vantage point. How I managed this I don’t know.
5
Rosetta to crowd: Aren’t you excited about this?
Ladies in crowd: Yes, of course we are. But this is...I didn’t think we’d get this close!
###
President Nixon from platform: I wanted to take this opportunity, as we arrive here, to
say just a few words of greeting to all of you because it will not be possible for me to do
what both Mrs. Nixon and I would particularly like to do, and that is to greet every one of
you personally.
In coming before you, I first want you to know that because this platform is so small, we
could only get the men on the platform. Women's Lib, please don't give us any trouble.
I am very proud to be here in Montana, and I will introduce these people. You know them
all so well, but I think you all want to welcome your people from Montana, as they are
here.
Mike Mansfield, the Majority Leader of the Senate.
Of course, the Governor of the State of Montana. Governor.
And the Congressman from this district, Dick Shoup.
The Congressman from the other district in Montana, Congressman Melcher.
Now, all of you will have noted that this is a totally bipartisan group. [Laughter] And that
is the spirit in which this visit has been arranged.
I want to say first that I have many pleasant memories of visits to this State. I have been
to a number of cities. I recall visits to Butte and Billings and to Great Falls and to
Bozeman and also, of course, to the State capital, to Helena. And I am very proud that
this is the first time I have had a chance to visit Montana as President of the United
States.
I am also equally proud that Mike Mansfield arranged that this is the first time I have had
any chance ever to come to Kalispell in this area. I am glad to be here in this beautiful
part of the country.
Now, as you have probably noted, the Majority Leader of the Senate and the President of
the United States have regular meetings, usually at breakfast, in addition to the meetings
that we have in the Cabinet Room, concerning legislation. I am sure that many of you
wonder what those meetings concern. Well, obviously they concern the affairs of state.
They naturally involve matters on which we sometimes disagree, disagree not as
partisans, but disagree because there are areas where different people, working toward the
6
same goal, might want to take different roads. But I think you will all be glad to know
that there is one subject on which we have no disagreement whatever. That is on the
beauty of the Big Sky Country.
I want to say something about your representatives, both the Republican as well as the
two Democrats, in the Congress of the United States from Montana. Many people who
come to Washington-they get Potomac fever, and that means they really get so taken with
Washington they forget the folks back home. I have never yet met a Senator or a
Congressman from Montana who didn't love Montana most of all, and that is true of
yours, I can assure you.
I think I can tell you why. There is a story--I don't know whether it is true or not; I
couldn't believe it when I saw it in my notes, and I wasn’t able to check it with Mike or
Dick or Congressman Melcher on the way out--there is a story about a big wind that
came up in Helena, the State capital, so big, as a matter of fact, that it turned the Goddess
of Liberty statue around so that it was facing away from the city.
And there were those, not from Montana, of course, and not from Helena, who said that
what really was happening was that the Goddess of Liberty was turning her back on the
city. I don't think that was the case. I think what the Goddess of Liberty was really doing
was turning out so that she could really see this beautiful country.
This is a beautiful country, and you can be very proud to live in it. And as I speak of this
country, I think it is particularly appropriate that it is the Big Sky Country. It is an open
country. There is still lots of ground out here, lots of beautiful territory for people to see,
for people to visit, for people to live in.
And that brings me to a point on which there is total agreement among all of us on this
platform, although we might have different ways to achieve that goal. We want an open
country, we want open cities, and we also want an open world.
At the present time we are ending the longest war in the history of the United States. We
are also trying to build--and we are having success in building--a new structure of peace,
one which will provide not just peace for a year, for the next election, or for the next five
years, but provide for something we haven’t had for this whole century: a whole
generation of peace. I think that is what Americans want most of all.
When I noticed the high school students were here, the various bands that have been
playing, when I see so many young people, and when I see your parents, I know that is
what you want.
As you know, from here we are going on to Portland and then up to Alaska to welcome
the Emperor of Japan. Later, I will have the opportunity to visit Mainland China, the
People's Republic of China. Let me just tell you what these visits have to do with this
generation of peace. Very simply this: They are not going to solve differences, all
differences between nations, particularly with regard to those great differences that exist
7
between the Government of the United States and the Government of the People's
Republic of China, with which we do not have diplomatic relations at this time. But they
do mean this: They do mean that a step has been taken toward a goal.
When nations have differences, they can either talk about them and negotiate about them
or they can fight about them. And if 10 to 15 years from now the People's Republic of
China is still isolated from the rest of the world, and particularly with no communication
with the United States of America, there is a great danger that due to that isolation we
might end in finding that our differences were ones that we could not talk about, and we
might end up fighting about.
I believe we have got to avoid that. I believe the time to start avoiding that is now, to
make this an open world in which we negotiate rather than confront those who differ with
us around the world.
In that goal, let me say we have bipartisan support. And I think we have the support of
all generations.
And there is one other thing I would like to say before we have a chance to meet some of
you. As we build this generation of peace, we also want a new prosperity that is based not
on war, but on peace, in which production for peace provides the jobs that Americans
need. This is something we all want. It is something that we can build. It is something
that this State can contribute to and that all of you can contribute to.
And finally, let me say that in this Nation in these years ahead we want this Nation to
continue to have not only those areas that can produce, as the great agricultural area of
Montana produces, for making this the best fed, the best dressed nation in the world, but
also the beauty of this country, which this State has in such remarkable degrees.
One final story to illustrate it: A couple of months ago, among the many visitors that
stream through the Oval Office of the White House, was a tremendously interesting
group of teenagers from the State of Washington. They had ridden bicycles clear across
the country. They called themselves Cyclemates.
As they rode across the country they stopped at various places. And, it of course took
them weeks to arrive in Washington. I asked them this question: I said, "Now, you tell
me you have been to the parks, you have been to all the States, what was the most
beautiful place you saw?"
They said, "Glacier Park, of all the places in the United States." Not only did they like
that place but they also liked the people.
And so, I say, as we meet you here, and with this little California rain falling right now,
that I’m glad to be here. Mrs. Nixon is glad to be here to receive such a warm welcome.
8
And we hope that this will always be the Big Sky Country and that people who come
across it will always say, "This is a beautiful place to visit.” Thank you very much.
###
Rosetta: Mrs. Nixon, can I get you to say hello to Helena.
Mrs. Nixon: I’m so glad to be here and meet all the wonderfully warm people.
Rosetta: Thank you very much.
Person in crowd: (unintelligible)
Rosetta: Yes, I did this all by myself. Tim is my boss.
Mrs. Nixon: Oh, you’ve got a good boss.
Rosetta: I know it. This is, I think this is the first time, Tim, that you’ve said hello to my
Scooter listeners. Say hello.
Tim: Golly, I guess you’re right at that. I listen to it but I haven’t been on the program
as yet.
Rosetta: It brings the President and Mrs. Nixon to bring you to say hello to my listeners.
Tim: I’m real pleased to follow Mrs. Nixon, believe me.
Rosetta: Thank you so very much, this is an honor.
###
Rosetta: I stood beside this young man throughout most of this Presidential arrival and
he’s been so excited and so anxious and I’m going to ask you your name.
Young man: Jack Vann.
Rosetta: And were do you live, Jack?
Jack: Kalispell.
Rosetta: You live right in Kalispell. Do you go to school?
Jack: Yes.
Rosetta: What school do you go to?
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Jack: Elrod.
Rosetta: How did you get ready for the arrival of the President. What have you been
thinking about the last few days?
Jack: Well, I’ve been real anxious to meet him and I’ve never seen the, any president
before in real life.
Rosetta: Well, he’s only the second president I’ve ever seen in real life and I’m older
than you. Does he look, does President Nixon look like you thought he would look?
Jack: Yeah, because I’ve seen him on TV several times.
Rosetta: And he looks just the same to you. And now it’s all over, you can go back and
dream about it.
Jack: Yeah.
Rosetta: Thank You.
(End)

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Aired on September 25, 1971 for the Scooter radio show on KBLL radio. The show presented President Nixon's address during his visit to Kalispell, Montana. Also interviewed were Bill Holter, Chairman of the Montana Republican Party, Montana Governor J. Hugo Aronson and First Lady, Pat Nixon.

Rosetta: We’re here with Bill Holter who is Chairman of the Republican Party for the
State of Montana as well as….
(Helicopter noise)
Bill: Rosetta, I think we’ll let them listen to what one of these big helicopters sounds like
for a moment. This giant helicopter has got United States Army on the side of it. It’s
passing off here to park. And, this is the biggest helicopter that I’ve ever had the pleasure
of seeing. The wind is blowing the ladies’ hairdos around a little bit here. As we get
ready for President Nixon’s expected arrival we’ve got a tremendous crowd on hand.
Probably they can hear a little better now.
Rosetta: Right. Now, this as I said, would be an unorthodox interview because there’s
too many things happening to try and do it in any kind of sequence. Bill Holter, who is a
broadcaster, you can do this all I have to do is ask you one question. Since you are one of
the coordinators and one of the sponsors to bring in President Nixon to the state of
Montana, what is involved in bringing the President here to this Kalispell airport?
Bill: The answer could probably be several pages, let’s say. We have found out that for
just a brief visit of a couple of hours, takes about 10 days of solid work by a lot of people
in various communities. The people in the Kalispell area and all of the authorities have
cooperated just splendidly. It’s been a tremendous mission. We expect a crowd of close
to 20,000 people. The highways are jammed coming in here. All is in readiness.
Helicopters all over the place. Marine No. 1 is the one the president will ride in and it’s
shined up like a brand new car. There’s an air of excitement and eager anticipation. It’s
just been a tremendous experience. All of us in Montana, and I might mention both
political parties, are very enthused over this visit.
Rosetta: Tell me, was the President invited here to the state on his way, or how did he
actually, how did this stop come about?
Bill: Well, I might mention that in my capacity as Chairman of the Montana Republican
Party, that we programmed through the channels into the White House several
suggestions, Rosetta, during the summer, for possible occasions that the president might
choose that would warrant a visit and we thought for awhile he was going to visit the
press convention and tie that in with a Glacier Park visit back in August. Another
occasion, the Montana Chamber of Commerce Convention which is on almost hand-inhand
with this visit here. When it was programmed it fit the strategy and previous travel
arrangements involving Portland, Oregon, and Alaska. The drop in here at Kalispell was
selected as the point, and that’s just about the way it went.
2
Rosetta: Thank you Bill, I know you have things to do, you are a busy man. Thank you
so much.
Bill: Thank you.
###
Rosetta: We just discovered former Governor Aronson in the crowd and we just
discussed his birthday party and you were how old, Governor, do you want to tell or are
you like ladies?
Gov. Aronson: Well, as young looking as I am, I am glad to tell you. I was 80 years old
September the first.
Rosetta: I like your modesty this morning. You’re here right in the front row waiting for
our President and I’m sure you’ve sat in on some other presidential visits.
Gov. Aronson: Yes, and I’m sure happy to be here because I invited him over, I wrote
him a personal letter.
Rosetta: Oh, you did?
Gov. Aronson: And I got a reply on it too, and I’ve got it in my pocket if he wants to see
it.
Rosetta: If he wants to see it. Well what did you say?
Gov. Aronson: I invited him to come to Bigfork, Kalispell and Glacier Park.
Rosetta: And he’s coming. He’s going to be here in just a little while.
Gov. Aronson: He better not break down before he gets here, either.
Rosetta: No he won’t. He won’t do that to us. What did he say in his reply? I’m sure he
penned it and said, “Gee, chum.”
Gov. Aronson: He didn’t know just what his schedule was going to be, but he would see
what the future had to offer, see. And now here he is here. I don’t think it’s on account
of me, but I hope it didn’t hurt to invite him.
Rosetta: I’m sure it didn’t. Now, you’ve met other presidents. Would you tell the
Montana listeners what other Presidents you have met?
Gov. Aronson: Well I have, I was very close to President Eisenhower, and of course I
knew President Johnson and President Truman. When I came to this country from
Sweden in 1911, President Taft was the President at that time, see, but I never had an
3
opportunity it meet him and of course, I couldn’t speak English, so he couldn’t even talk
to me.
Rosetta: But you have met President Nixon.
Gov. Aronson: Oh, we were very close when he was Vice President and I was Governor
for eight years. And I’ve been visiting with him and he invited me back to the White
House a year and a half ago and every once in awhile I get a letter from him and I’ve
saved them and Im going to frame some of them.
Rosetta: Good for you. What are you doing now in retirement, Governor?
Gov. Aronson: Well, I’ve got a lot of non-profit jobs, you know, and I made so much
money when I was Governor.
Rosetta: Oh, now careful, you have non-profit and non-paying jobs, is what you’re….
Gov. Aronson: Well right here alone, I’m on this airport board, the airport commission.
We fixed up this airport here so the great President Richard Millhouse Nixon could sit
down with his big plane.
Rosetta: Oh, thank you very much, Governor.
Gov. Aronson: Not only did we make the road ready for him to sit down on, but I invited
him to come over after.
Rosetta: I wonder if he’s going to be here long enough to sit down. I’ll bet he doesn’t
get an opportunity to sit down. Do you suppose?
Gov. Aronson: I would hope and pray on his busy schedule that he stays here for a few
minutes at least.
Rosetta: Well I hope so, because there are, I would say, how many people would you
estimate are here?
Gov. Aronson: Oh, I haven’t looked them over yet.
Rosetta: Just the pretty girls, I can tell.
Gov. Aronson: Well, I see a lot of them, and sit and talk to them, too, you see. This is
really great, it’s a great day for me, the emigrant boy from Sweden, to be here to meet the
great president, the great president of all times, to my way of looking at it, meeting him
here in Kalispell, Montana.
Rosetta: You are still a very humble man and in your position now that’s….
4
Gov. Aronson: Well, I’m too old to be anything else.
Rosetta: Thank you Governor Aronson.
###
Rosetta: As we prepare for the arrival of the President. His plane has put down. Those
who are directly associated with this arrival of the President. The Governor has arrived
and taken his position; the former Governor of Montana has taken his position. We have
the Lt. Governor; and other executives and dignitaries are here awaiting. The Indian
Chiefs are here in full regalia. I see some fish across the way that will be presented to the
President. And many, many school children standing around the area with signs. Some
of the signs read just, “Welcome, Mr. & Mrs. Nixon.” Others say “We’re glad to see
you.” Others I see have smiling faces on them. All of them are welcoming both the
President and his wife Mrs. Pat Nixon. There’s a huge crowd and I am sort of “sardined”
in between numerous people, school children, dignitaries and what have you, in an area
that originally had been designated only for press, but apparently this crowd has reached
a size of where people are being stood in line in the press area and every other area that is
available. I can’t even estimate the size of this crowd, but it’s a big crowd and of course
the highways are jammed on the way in.
The excitement mounts and I must admit I’m as excited as any of the rest of them. I
notice one teenage girl with tears in her eyes standing next to me and a number of them
holding on to their hands and just trying to touch themselves to see if this is really true,
they are really going to see the President of the United States in their young lives.
It has now come to a stop. I am standing not too very far from the runway where he will
put out. The pilot has just opened the door and the Presidential seal is visible. From the,
from this vantage point it’s on the inside of the door. This is a large plane. Out of the
back of the airplane a number of newsmen and presidential aides accompany him. All,
these newsmen, of course, are all loaded with cameras and they dash forward to get the
President and his party’s picture as they make their…
And here they are now. (Applause)
Pat Nixon is a beautiful woman. She is with the President. She is in royal blue. Very
young looking woman, and the President is, he looks great. And I’ll have to say that
Richard Nixon looks very much as he appears on the television screen and in his news
pictures.
Behind the President and Mrs. Nixon are a number of officials, I’m not sure who these
people are. Mike, Senator Mike Mansfield, I think, and his wife. I have a gentleman to
the left who’s taller than I am and he’s telling me who some of these people are as they
come out of the airplane.
I don’t think I could be at a better vantage point. How I managed this I don’t know.
5
Rosetta to crowd: Aren’t you excited about this?
Ladies in crowd: Yes, of course we are. But this is...I didn’t think we’d get this close!
###
President Nixon from platform: I wanted to take this opportunity, as we arrive here, to
say just a few words of greeting to all of you because it will not be possible for me to do
what both Mrs. Nixon and I would particularly like to do, and that is to greet every one of
you personally.
In coming before you, I first want you to know that because this platform is so small, we
could only get the men on the platform. Women's Lib, please don't give us any trouble.
I am very proud to be here in Montana, and I will introduce these people. You know them
all so well, but I think you all want to welcome your people from Montana, as they are
here.
Mike Mansfield, the Majority Leader of the Senate.
Of course, the Governor of the State of Montana. Governor.
And the Congressman from this district, Dick Shoup.
The Congressman from the other district in Montana, Congressman Melcher.
Now, all of you will have noted that this is a totally bipartisan group. [Laughter] And that
is the spirit in which this visit has been arranged.
I want to say first that I have many pleasant memories of visits to this State. I have been
to a number of cities. I recall visits to Butte and Billings and to Great Falls and to
Bozeman and also, of course, to the State capital, to Helena. And I am very proud that
this is the first time I have had a chance to visit Montana as President of the United
States.
I am also equally proud that Mike Mansfield arranged that this is the first time I have had
any chance ever to come to Kalispell in this area. I am glad to be here in this beautiful
part of the country.
Now, as you have probably noted, the Majority Leader of the Senate and the President of
the United States have regular meetings, usually at breakfast, in addition to the meetings
that we have in the Cabinet Room, concerning legislation. I am sure that many of you
wonder what those meetings concern. Well, obviously they concern the affairs of state.
They naturally involve matters on which we sometimes disagree, disagree not as
partisans, but disagree because there are areas where different people, working toward the
6
same goal, might want to take different roads. But I think you will all be glad to know
that there is one subject on which we have no disagreement whatever. That is on the
beauty of the Big Sky Country.
I want to say something about your representatives, both the Republican as well as the
two Democrats, in the Congress of the United States from Montana. Many people who
come to Washington-they get Potomac fever, and that means they really get so taken with
Washington they forget the folks back home. I have never yet met a Senator or a
Congressman from Montana who didn't love Montana most of all, and that is true of
yours, I can assure you.
I think I can tell you why. There is a story--I don't know whether it is true or not; I
couldn't believe it when I saw it in my notes, and I wasn’t able to check it with Mike or
Dick or Congressman Melcher on the way out--there is a story about a big wind that
came up in Helena, the State capital, so big, as a matter of fact, that it turned the Goddess
of Liberty statue around so that it was facing away from the city.
And there were those, not from Montana, of course, and not from Helena, who said that
what really was happening was that the Goddess of Liberty was turning her back on the
city. I don't think that was the case. I think what the Goddess of Liberty was really doing
was turning out so that she could really see this beautiful country.
This is a beautiful country, and you can be very proud to live in it. And as I speak of this
country, I think it is particularly appropriate that it is the Big Sky Country. It is an open
country. There is still lots of ground out here, lots of beautiful territory for people to see,
for people to visit, for people to live in.
And that brings me to a point on which there is total agreement among all of us on this
platform, although we might have different ways to achieve that goal. We want an open
country, we want open cities, and we also want an open world.
At the present time we are ending the longest war in the history of the United States. We
are also trying to build--and we are having success in building--a new structure of peace,
one which will provide not just peace for a year, for the next election, or for the next five
years, but provide for something we haven’t had for this whole century: a whole
generation of peace. I think that is what Americans want most of all.
When I noticed the high school students were here, the various bands that have been
playing, when I see so many young people, and when I see your parents, I know that is
what you want.
As you know, from here we are going on to Portland and then up to Alaska to welcome
the Emperor of Japan. Later, I will have the opportunity to visit Mainland China, the
People's Republic of China. Let me just tell you what these visits have to do with this
generation of peace. Very simply this: They are not going to solve differences, all
differences between nations, particularly with regard to those great differences that exist
7
between the Government of the United States and the Government of the People's
Republic of China, with which we do not have diplomatic relations at this time. But they
do mean this: They do mean that a step has been taken toward a goal.
When nations have differences, they can either talk about them and negotiate about them
or they can fight about them. And if 10 to 15 years from now the People's Republic of
China is still isolated from the rest of the world, and particularly with no communication
with the United States of America, there is a great danger that due to that isolation we
might end in finding that our differences were ones that we could not talk about, and we
might end up fighting about.
I believe we have got to avoid that. I believe the time to start avoiding that is now, to
make this an open world in which we negotiate rather than confront those who differ with
us around the world.
In that goal, let me say we have bipartisan support. And I think we have the support of
all generations.
And there is one other thing I would like to say before we have a chance to meet some of
you. As we build this generation of peace, we also want a new prosperity that is based not
on war, but on peace, in which production for peace provides the jobs that Americans
need. This is something we all want. It is something that we can build. It is something
that this State can contribute to and that all of you can contribute to.
And finally, let me say that in this Nation in these years ahead we want this Nation to
continue to have not only those areas that can produce, as the great agricultural area of
Montana produces, for making this the best fed, the best dressed nation in the world, but
also the beauty of this country, which this State has in such remarkable degrees.
One final story to illustrate it: A couple of months ago, among the many visitors that
stream through the Oval Office of the White House, was a tremendously interesting
group of teenagers from the State of Washington. They had ridden bicycles clear across
the country. They called themselves Cyclemates.
As they rode across the country they stopped at various places. And, it of course took
them weeks to arrive in Washington. I asked them this question: I said, "Now, you tell
me you have been to the parks, you have been to all the States, what was the most
beautiful place you saw?"
They said, "Glacier Park, of all the places in the United States." Not only did they like
that place but they also liked the people.
And so, I say, as we meet you here, and with this little California rain falling right now,
that I’m glad to be here. Mrs. Nixon is glad to be here to receive such a warm welcome.
8
And we hope that this will always be the Big Sky Country and that people who come
across it will always say, "This is a beautiful place to visit.” Thank you very much.
###
Rosetta: Mrs. Nixon, can I get you to say hello to Helena.
Mrs. Nixon: I’m so glad to be here and meet all the wonderfully warm people.
Rosetta: Thank you very much.
Person in crowd: (unintelligible)
Rosetta: Yes, I did this all by myself. Tim is my boss.
Mrs. Nixon: Oh, you’ve got a good boss.
Rosetta: I know it. This is, I think this is the first time, Tim, that you’ve said hello to my
Scooter listeners. Say hello.
Tim: Golly, I guess you’re right at that. I listen to it but I haven’t been on the program
as yet.
Rosetta: It brings the President and Mrs. Nixon to bring you to say hello to my listeners.
Tim: I’m real pleased to follow Mrs. Nixon, believe me.
Rosetta: Thank you so very much, this is an honor.
###
Rosetta: I stood beside this young man throughout most of this Presidential arrival and
he’s been so excited and so anxious and I’m going to ask you your name.
Young man: Jack Vann.
Rosetta: And were do you live, Jack?
Jack: Kalispell.
Rosetta: You live right in Kalispell. Do you go to school?
Jack: Yes.
Rosetta: What school do you go to?
9
Jack: Elrod.
Rosetta: How did you get ready for the arrival of the President. What have you been
thinking about the last few days?
Jack: Well, I’ve been real anxious to meet him and I’ve never seen the, any president
before in real life.
Rosetta: Well, he’s only the second president I’ve ever seen in real life and I’m older
than you. Does he look, does President Nixon look like you thought he would look?
Jack: Yeah, because I’ve seen him on TV several times.
Rosetta: And he looks just the same to you. And now it’s all over, you can go back and
dream about it.
Jack: Yeah.
Rosetta: Thank You.
(End)